Portable tufting machine



June 3, 1958 'r. F. GIFFORD 2,837,045

PORTABLE TUFTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JuneB, 1953 T. F. GIFFORD 7 2,837,045

' PORTABLE TUFTING MACHINE J Filed NOV. 6, 1953 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I -4521mm 35 A TTORNE'Y QINV TOR.

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United States Patent OfiFice PORTABLE TUFTING MACHINE Theron F. Gifford,Lookout Mountain, Ga., assignor to Ten-Tex Corporation, Chattanooga,Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application November 6, 1953, SerialNo. 390,659

8 Claims. (Cl. 112-80) This invention relates to tufting machines, andmore specifically to a portable type tufting machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tufting device having anovel and efiective means for advancing the machine along the surface ofthe work.

Still another object is the provision in a tufting machine of means foradjustably varying the distance between stitches.

A further object is to provide a tufting machine having a yarn feedmechanism wherein the yarn is fed through only a portion of the sewingcycle of the needle.

Still a further object is to provide a tufting machine having means forvarying the length of the needle stroke.

Further objects and many advantages will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed descriptionof a physical embodiment of the invention, in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, Wherein Figure l is a side elevation view takenin partial section along line l1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view taken in partial section along line 22 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the embodiment as viewed from the needle end.

Figure 4 is a side view of a part of the device showing the yarn feedingmechanism.

Figure 5 is a partial section View taken along line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a housing, generally designated 11,having a portion thereof formed as a handle 12, has mounted transverselytherein in bearing 13 a drive shaft 14. Suitably secured to shaft 14, aswith a set screw 15, is a bevel gear 16 which meshes with acomplementary bevel gear 17 secured to a coupling shaft 18. Shaft 18 ismounted for rotation in a bearing 19 and extends outside the housing 11for connection, as through a flexible shaft, to any suitable externalpower drive source. The handle 12 may enclose a suitable switchmechanism 21 which may be actuated by a trigger 22 for controlling thedrive motor or other power source (not shown).

One end 31 of the housing 11 is shaped similarly to a pistol barrel andhas fixedly secured therein a sleeve 32 which has a slot 33 formed inone side thereof. Reciprocably mounted in sleeve 32 is a needle slide34, in the outer end of which is suitably held a hollow or othersuitable type needle 35. The needle slide 34 and needle 35 arereciprocated by a connecting rod 36 pivotally connected to the inner endof slide 34.

The connecting rod 36 is adjustably and pivotally fastened by means ofsleeve 41, bolt 42, and nut 43, to a pair of crank arms 44 and 45, inwhich are formed radial slots 46 and 47, respectively, and which arefixed to drive shaft 14 and stub shaft 48, respectively. Crank arm 44has a counterweight 49 in order to minimize Vibrations. By adjusting theconnecting bolt 42 to vari- 2 ous radial positions in the slots 46, 47the length of the stroke of the needle 35 may be adjusted as desired.

It is an important feature of my invention that means are provided, asnext described, for adjusting the distance between stitches. In theillustrated embodiment this takes the form of a pair of wheels 51 havingspikes or needles 52 extending radially from their peripheral surfaces,and being mounted for rotation in a bracket 53 suitably secured onto theouter end of sleeve 32. Connected through a unidirectional clutch 54 toone of the wheels 51 is a lever arm 55 which has a slot 56 therein.devices, such as a ratchet and pawl arrangement, may be used in lieu ofthe illustrated clutch 54 (see Fig. 5) if desired. Adjustably andpivotally connected at a desired point in the slot 56 by means of bolt57, spacer sleeve 53, and nut 59, is a connecting rod 61. Connecting rod61 is pivotally connected at its other end to a cam follower bar 62. Bar62 has a roller 63 mounted in its inner end and is spring-urged, asindicated at 64, for constant engagement of roller 63 with cam 65. Cam

.65, which is fixedly mounted on shaft 14, has an abrupt raised portion66 which during each rotation thereof causes the bar 62 to bereciprocated out and in one time. This reciprocatory motion istranslated through connecting rod 61, lever arm 55, and unidirectionalclutch 54 into an angular step-by-step rotation of wheels 51, which inturn are in contact with the fabric and thereby adnecting rod 61 in theslot 56 of lever arm 55 it will be seen that the step-by-step angularamount of rotation of wheels 51, and thus the distance between stitchesmay be conveniently and easily varied over a fairly wide range.

As seen in Figures 2-4, there is provided a pair of feed rollers 71, 72for periodically feeding yarn to the needle 35. Feed roller 71 isfixedly mounted on stub shaft 48 for rotation therewith, and has aknurled surface 73 (see Figure 3) over a portion of its circumferentialperiphery. The remaining portion 74 of the periphery of roller 71 isreduced in radius, as best seen in Figure 4. The roller 72 is mountedfor free rotation on a lever 75 pivotally mounted as indicated at 76 onthe side of removable side plate 77 of the housing 11. Feed roller 72has a cir cumferential channel groove 78 formed therein for engagementwith the knurled outer periphery of feed roller 71, and is spring-urgedinto engagement therewith by spring 79 which biases arm 75 in aclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4. A stop pin 80 fixed in theside plate 77 limits downwardmovement of arm 75 such that channel groove78 engages only the knurled portion 73 of feed roller 71 and makes noengagement with the reduced peripheral portion 74.

Thus, it will be seen that yarn, which is passed from a suitable supply(not shown) through eyelet 81, between feed rollers 71, 72, throughguide opening 82, and thence down through sleeve 32 to the needle 35,will be fed by rollers 71, 72 periodically once during every cycle ofthe sewing operation. Preferably, as shown in the illustratedconstruction, this feeding of the yarn takes place during the downstrokeof the needle 35, while no yarn is fed during the upstroke of theneedle.

In operation, the operator grasps the machine by'the handle 12 and holdsit with the end of sleeve 32 and the wheels 51 in engagement with thefabric to be worked Patented June 3, 1958 Obviously, other suitableunidirectional clutch nisrnthrough connecting shaft 18. The needle 35 isthereby-reciprocated through the rotation of shaft 14and orneamtheqtopof each upstroke'of the needle-35,-' the sleeve 32 is moved forward apredetermined distancethrough the small angular movement of the wheels51, which are spiked to positively engage the fabric and assureadefinite amount of'movement. Movement of wh'eels 5l is accomplishedthrough the action of cam 65 mounted on shaft 14, earn follower 62,connectingrodfll,

lever arm 55, and unidirectional clutch 54-. By adjustingth'estroke :ofthe needle may.easily be adjusted as may the.. length: of the stitch.Thus. the machine iseasily adaptable, to. varying conditions andrequirements inthe makingof tufted articles.

Obviously, .many modifications of myinvention will be readilyapparentfrom a.reading;of:this specification.

without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. It:istobeunderstood.therefore.that the construction shownis only that of apreferred embodiment and that my invention is not to be. construed aslimited thereto.

except as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A tufting machineof a type which is bodily carried inrthehand-andguidedby the hand relative to the work during use, saidmachinescomprisinga body portion,

reciprocatory needle means carried by said body portion, step-by-stepfeed means carried by the body portion and operable to advance thebody'portion and needlemeans relative to the work, reciprocatory meansconnected with said step-by-step feed means to actuate the same .eachtime the needle means is nearrthe top of its upstroke, intermittentpositive yarn, feed meanstcarried by the body portion and adaptedrtofeed Iyarn to the needle means during the, downstroke ofitheneedle.means, and a single rotary driving means forsaid..needle -means,secondnamed ,reciprecatorymeans :and yarn feed means carried bysaidbodyPortion 2. A.tufting,,machineof atypewhichis bodily carried in-the, handand guided by the hand relative to the work during;u se, said machinecomprising a. .body portion, reciprocatory, needle means carried, bythebody portion, step-by-step rotary feed means carried by the bodyportion and operable toadvance the body portion and needle meansrelative to the work whenithe needlemeans is near the top of itsupstroke, second reciprocatory means connected with said rotary feedmeans to actuate the same 'whennthe needle is near the top,;of itsupstroke, rotary frictional positive yarn feed means carried bythe bodyportion and adapted to feed yarn ,to. the. needle means during thedownstroke of thelatter, and. acommon rotary driving means for andconnected with said needle means, secondqreciprocatory means and.yarnfeed means and adapted to operate such means in properly timed relation.

3.- A-hand carried and hand guided portable tufting implement comprisinga body portion shaped so as to be-conveniently held in the hand,reciprocatory needle means carried by the body portion, intermittentlyoperated rotaryieed means carriedby the body portion for advancingthebody portion. and. needle means step-by-step 4 over the work, secondreciprocatory means carried by the body portion-and connected with therotary feed-means to operate the same only when the needle is near theend of its upstroke, positive rotary yarn feed means carried by the bodyportion and adapted to feed yarn to the needle, a common rotary driveshaft connected with said needle means, second reciprocatory means andyarn feed means to operate the same in timed relation, and

means carried 'by-said-body portion for driving-the rotary driveshaft,and adaptedfor connection with aremote sourcefiof rotary power.

4. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising abody portion, a single crank shaft journaledt-upon the-body portionforrotation, means for turning the crank shaft, reciprocatory needle meanscarried by the body portion and connected with the crank shaft andactuated thereby, intermittently operated stepby-step feed means carriedby the body portion and operableto advancesthe body portion andneedle-means relative to the-work1when the needle means is near'thcendiofzitsmpstroke, a cam mounted upon the crank shaftandzcontactinglsaid' feed means to operate the samein the desired timedrelation to said needle means, an intermittent positive acting yarn feedmeans mounted upon the,;body portionandconnected with and actuated bysaid crank shaft and adapted to positively feed yarn totheqneedl'mmeans'during the downstrokeof the latter.

5. Azhand carriedandhand guided portable tufting machine comprisingabodyportion, a crank shaft journaled ,upon the body portion for rotation anddriven from a remotezsource of ,power, reciprocatory needle meanscarried bythe bodyportionand connected with the crank shaft and driventhereby, an intermittently operated rotary element carried, by the bodyportion and engaging.

thework to advance the machine over the work when the needle is near theend of its upstroke, one way clutch means connected with said rotaryelement to intermittently turn it, reciprocatory means connected withthe body portion and with said clutch means to actuate the latter, a camhaving a high point mounted upon the crankshaft to turn therewith andcontacting the lastnamed reciprocatory means to actuate the same eachtime the-needle means is near the top of its upstroke, and positive yarnfeed means carried by the body portion and connected with the crankshaft and actuated thereby and adapted to feed yarn to the needle means.

6. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising abody portion, a crank shaft journaled upon the body portion forrotation, means to turn the crank shaft, reciprocatory needle meanscarried by the body portion and connected with the crank shaft andoperated thereby, cloth engaging wheel means journalcd upon thebodyportion for intermittent operation to advance the tufting machinerelative to the work each time the needle means is near the top of itsupstroke, a one-way clutch device including a slotted arm connected withthe -wheel means to turn the latter in a step-by-step manner, areciprocatory element carried by the body portion, a connecting linkhaving one end pivoted to the reciprocatory element and its other endadjustably mounted within the slot of said slotted arrn, whereby theamount of rotation imparted by the one way clutch device to said Wheelmeans may be varied, a cam having high part secured to said crank shaftto turn therewith and contacting the reciprocatory element to actuatethe same in properly timed relation to said needle means. and positiveyarn feed means carried by the body portion and connected with the crankshaft and operated thereby and adapted to feed yarn to said needlemeans.

7. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting implement comprisinga body portion, a common rotary means journaled upon the body portion,reciprocatory needle means carried by the body portion and connectedwith and operated by the common rotary means, intermittent workengagingimplement feed means mounted upon the body portion and connectedwith and operated by the common rotary means and adapted to advance theimplement relative to the work each time the needle means is near theend of its upstroke, a first rotary friction yarn feed element connectedwith and driven by said common rotary means, and a second rotaryfriction yarn feed element carried by said body portion and yieldinglycontacting the first yarn feed element and coacting therewith duringrotation of the first yarn feed element to feed yarn to the needle meansduring the downstroke of the needle means.

8. A hand carried and hand guided portable tufting machine comprising abody portion, a common rotary means journaled upon the body portion, areciprocatory needle unit carried by the body portion and connected withand operated by the common rotary means, intermittent work engagingmachine feed means mounted upon the body portion and connected with andoperated by the common rotary means to advance the machine over the workeach time the needle is near the end of its upstroke, a first yarn feedroller having an elevated roughened peripheral portion connected withand driven by said common rotary means, a coacting yarn feed roller, anarm carrying the coacting roller and pivoted to the body portion, and aspring connected with said arm and serving to yieldingly urge saidcoacting roller into peripheral contact with said first feed roller,whereby rotation of the first feed roller with the elevated roughenedperipheral portion causes yarn gripped between the first and coactingrollers to be intermittently positively fed to the needle during thedownstroke of the latter, the common rotary means driving the needleunit, machine feed means and first yarn feed roller in properly timedrelation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

